Surgical stick

ABSTRACT

A surgical stick formed in one piece of a resilient material and having a pair of elongated clip members extending from the gripping portion and capable of being separated for the insertion of absorbent material therebetween and of being locked together for retaining securely the absorbent material.

United States Patent 1 1 Essner 1 Dec. 11, 1973 1 SURGICAL STICK2,294,186 8/1942 Kirschbaum 128/269 3,279,479 10/1966 Solomon 128/321 UX[76] lnvemor- "Y F 5 pm 3,604,071 9 1971 Reimels 128/346 x whlle Plams,10605 3,616,497 11 1971 ESp0S1I0,Jl'... 128/346 x 9, [21] Appl 179321Primary Examiner-Channing L. Pace Attorney-Granville M. Brumbaugh et al.

[52] US. Cl 128/269, 128/321, 128/346,

015/147 R, 015/244 R 57 ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl. A61m 35/00, A6lb17/28,A61b 17/08 1 581 Field 61 Search 24/255 R, 255 SL; Asurglcal Suck f9rm9dm 999 P1999 of a r9sfll9nt 4 123/269, 321, 346, 5 294/16 33, terial andhaving a pair of elongated clip members ex- 99 5 7 R, 244 A, 244 Rtending from the gripping portion and capable of being separated for theinsertion of absorbent material 5 References Cited therebetween and ofbeing locked together for retaining securely the absorbent material.

6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures SURGICAL STICK This invention relates toimprovements in surgical sticks, that is to say, surgical instrumentsused for handling absorbent sponges, gauze or the like, and moreparticularly to an inexpensive surgical stick having the absorbentmaterial preassembled therein.

The conventional surgical sticks in use today are metal scissor-likeinstruments which must be cleaned and sterilized before each use. Thescissor-like operation of the instrument makes it possible for thesurgeon to pick up an absorbent sponge or gauze and retain it betweenthe clamped jaws of the instrument.

The surgical stick of the presentinvention is formed in one piece of aresilient material and includes a pair of elongated clip membersextending from a gripping portion, a pair of oppositely facing jaws atthe ends of the clip members for holding an absorbent sponge or gauzebetween them while the clip members are free to be spread apart, andmeans for locking the clip members together for'retaining securely theabsorbent material between the jaws.

The surgical stick of the present inventionis not only inexpensive anddisposable, but it is capable of being sterilized with the absorbentmaterial preassembled between the jaws thereof and then packaged so thatit is ready for use by the surgeon.

For a more complete understanding of the invention reference can be madeto the detailed description which follows and to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view of one side of the surgical stick of the presentinvention showing the clip members in their unlocked position free to bespread apart for the insertion of an absorbent material between the jawsthereof;

FIG. 2 is a view of the surgical stick shown in FIG. 1 with theabsorbent material inserted between the jaws and the clip members inlocked position;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIG. I,looking in the direction of the arrows; and

' FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are views of an alternative embodiment correspondingto the views of FIGS. 1,2 and 3.

The surgical stick shown in FIGS. 1 through 3 of the drawings is made inone piece of a resilient material, preferably an inexpensive syntheticplastic.'A pair of elongated clip members 10 and 11 extend from a handgripping portion 12, and a pair of oppositely facing jaws l3 and 14 areformed at the ends of the clip members.

The gripping portion 12 is preferably shaped to include a pair ofannular formations to provide a pair of spaced apart finger holes 15 and16 at the end of the surgical stick remote from the jaws so that thesurgeon can handle the instrument in the same way that he is accustomedto handle conventional surgical sticks.

The clip members 10 and 11 are free to be spread apart to receive theabsorbent material 17 between the jaws. The faces of the jawsarepreferably serrated to prevent the accidental removal of theabsorbent material from between the jaws.

When the absorbent material has been inserted between the jaws, the clipmembers are forced together and locked in order to retain securely theabsorbent material between the jaws. Toward this end, in the embodimentillustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3 offset locking formations l8 and 19 areformed on the clip members.

By reason of their offset relationship they can be forced formations canbe heat sealed together, or they can be secured by rivets or by anadhesive or by any other suitable means. Since the locking formationsare of complementary shape and are adapted to engage each other inface-to-face relationship when they are properly mated, they insure thatthe jaws are brought together in proper face-to-face alignment.

The embodiment of the surgical stick shown in FIGS. 4 through 6 of thedrawings is similar to the embodiment described above, except that thelocking formations 20 and 21 thereof are adapted to be forced intointerlocking relationship with each other. Toward this end, as shown inFIG. 6, the locking formation 20 has a barbed arrow-like edge 22 and thelocking formation 21 has an edge containing a recess 23 therein forreceiving the arrow-like formation. The recess has 'a restricted opening24 which is capable of being forced apart by the wedge action'of thearrow-like formation and it will close behind the barbed arrow-likeformation when the latter is fully inserted within the recess.

The surgical'stick of the present invention with the absorbent materiallocked between the jawsthereof can now be sterilized and packaged sothat it is ready for use by the surgeon. Furthermore, because it can bemade so inexpensively the surgical stick can be disposed of after use sothat the hospital staff will not have to wash and sterilize theinstrument.

The invention has been shown in preferred forms and by way of exampleonly, and obviously many modifications and variations may be madetherein within the spirit of the invention. The invention, therefore, isnot to be limited to any specified form or embodiment, except insofar assuch limitations are expressly set forth in the claims.

' Iclaim:

l. A surgical stick formed in one piece of a resilient material forholding an absorbent surgical material comprising a pair of annularfinger grips for holding the surgical stick between two fingers, aconnection bridging the two finger grips and maintainingthem in desiredspaced-apart fixed relationship, a pair of closely-spaced elongatedfingers integrally formed with and extending from said bridgingconnection, said fingers having open ends remote from the-fixed endswhichare integrally connected with the bridging connection, a pair ofoppositely facing jaws formed at the ends of the elongated fingersremote from the ends'which are fixed to the bridging connection, theresiliency of the material permitting the open ends of the elongatedfingers to be spread apart relative to the fixed ends for the insertionof absorbent material between the jaws and fastening means intermediatethe ends of the fingers in proximity to the jaws and remote from thefixed ends of the fingers for securing the fingers together to retainabsorbent material securely between the jaws on the surgical stick.

2. A surgical stick as set forth in claim 1 including an absorbentmaterial secured between the jaws in the region between the fasteningmeans and the free ends of the fingers.

3. A surgical stick as set forth in claim 2 in which the jaws areserrated to prevent accidental removal of the absorbent material heldtherebetween.

4. A- surgical stick as set forth in claim 2 in which the fasteningmeans includes offset formations formed on the fingers which can beforced into overlapping relafastening means include a barbed arrow-likeformation on one clip member and a formation defining a recess on theother clip member, the recess including a re stricted opening capable ofbeing forced apart to accommodate insertion of the barbed arrow-likeformation and closing therebehind.

1. A surgical stick formed in one piece of a resilient material forholding an absorbent surgical material comprising a pair of annularfinger grips for holding the surgical stick between two fingers, aconnection bridging the two finger grips and maintaining them in desiredspaced-apart fixed relationship, a pair of closely-spaced elongatedfingers integrally formed with and extending from said bridgingconnection, said fingers having open ends remote from the fixed endswhich are integrally connected with the bridging connection, a pair ofoppositely facing jaws formed at the ends of the elongated fingersremote from the ends which are fixed to the bridging connection, theresiliency of the material permitting the open ends of the elongatedfingers to be spread apart relative to the fixed ends for the insertionof absorbent material between the jaws and fastening means intermediatethe ends of the fingers in proximity to the jaws and remote from thefixed ends of the fingers for securing the fingers together to retainabsorbent material securely between the jaws on the surgical stick.
 2. Asurgical stick as set forth in claim 1 including an absorbent materialsecured between the jaws in the region between the fastening means andthe free ends of the fingers.
 3. A surgical stick as set forth in claim2 in which the jaws are serrated to prevent accidental removal of theabsorbent material held therebetween.
 4. A surgical stick as set forthin claim 2 in which the fastening means includes offset formationsformed on the fingers which can be forced into overlapping relation andjoined together to secure the absorbent material between the jaws.
 5. Asurgical stick as set forth in claim 2 in which the fastening meansincludes interlocking formations formed on the finger to lock theabsorbent materiaL between the jaws.
 6. A surgical stick as set forth inclaim 1 in which the fastening means include a barbed arrow-likeformation on one clip member and a formation defining a recess on theother clip member, the recess including a restricted opening capable ofbeing forced apart to accommodate insertion of the barbed arrow-likeformation and closing therebehind.